


Dream In A Dream

by ssa_fire



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Office, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, CEO Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Eventual Relationships, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Swearing, Visions in dreams
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-08-25 09:26:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16658519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssa_fire/pseuds/ssa_fire
Summary: The concept of reincarnation was not an absurd notion to Jung Jaehyun. Not after growing up with odd dreams. He'd always be graced with the presence of a beautiful male he was certain he never even met in person before.Although these dreams never left him, it was easy to dismiss them since they were harmless. And perhaps, it was because he didn't mind seeing the beautiful man in his dreams often.





	1. I

  The concept of reincarnation was not an absurd notion to Jung Jaehyun.

  Not after growing up with odd dreams.

  He'd always be graced with the presence of a beautiful male he was certain he never even met in person before.

  It was when Jaehyun had reached the age of fifteen that he assumed these odd encounters in his dreams were memories of his past life.

  So yes, reincarnation seemed plausible.

  Although these dreams never left him, it was easy to dismiss them since they were harmless.

  And perhaps, it was because he didn't mind seeing the beautiful man in his dreams often.

 

 

* * *

 

 

  Jaehyun wasn't so sure when it started. His first recollection of the earliest encounter with the beautiful man in his dreams was at the age of ten.

  How could he forget? He was instantly enamoured with the mysterious man's face.

  That face was unreal, he looked like one of those anime characters Jaehyun was so fond of. Hence, he dismissed the following dreams as a result of his obsession with anime.

_But why was it always about the same man?_

  By the age of fourteen, mild annoyance had plagued the adolescent.

  _Why was it that the man of his dreams wouldn't leave him alone?_

  By the age of sixteen, annoyance wasn't the only thing that had blossomed within the boy's heart.

  Jaehyun was coming to terms with his sexual orientation and the mysterious man had helped him with his self-discovery.

  He learned that he had a crush on this mysterious man he'd never even met before. Did that make him crazy? Maybe. But if that meant he could keep this mysterious man all to himself, then he'd gladly stay crazy. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

  The dreams always had the same setting.

  Just him and the beautiful man.

  Surrounded by greenery.

  With said beautiful man cupping his cheeks.

  His dark hair pushed back, sometimes covering his forehead. He looked gorgeous either way.

  Some days the man would be pouting at him. Other days, he'd be smiling.

  But the endings were always consistent. The encounters would always end with the pretty man mouthing the same incomprehensible words. Incomprehensible because he'd unfailingly forget them the next morning.

  Over the past five years, Jaehyun had been thankful for the dreams since they consoled him in some way. He made it through the hardest times of his life convinced that the pretty man had his back. He even mustered the courage to come out to his friends and family because of his unusual dreams. As odd as it may seem. Jaehyun owed it all to _pretty man_.

  However, Jaehyun was no longer in his teens. The dreams have become ridiculous at this point. He wanted them to disappear at last.

  The thought of spending the rest of his days on Earth haunted by _pretty man_ was ludicrous.

  Jaehyun was twenty-five and one of the youngest CEOs in the country.

  And still had no dating experience.

  How could he date someone while dreaming about another man? A man who most likely didn't even exist.

  That's why those dreams had to go.

 

 

* * *

 

 

  “Jaehyun, we have to go in now.”

  Ten snapped him out of his reverie.

  Ten was his friend of fifteen years and the CFO of their cosmetics company, NCT.

  "You've been spacing out a lot lately. Wanna talk about it?”

  “Oh, uhm...it's fine, Ten. Just nervous, that's all.”

  Ten gave him a pointed look.

  “I promise. It's just the nerves. I'm still not used to this.”

  The shorter male still wouldn't buy it.

  “I won't let it interrupt with work.”

  "Jaehyun, that's not what I'm concerned about—"

  “Can you two discuss this later? We're about to be late for our biggest meeting yet. We don't want to seem unprofessional, right?”

  At that moment, Jungwoo, their tall friend and the COO of their company, joined them.

  Linking his arms around Jaehyun's and Ten's, he pulled them closer to the wide, metal doors of the meeting room.

  They managed to land their biggest project yet. A collaboration with one of the rising fashion houses of Asia, Black on Black. This collaboration would bring NCT so much exposure. The trio worked hard for this to happen, for it wasn't easy to persuade the creative director.

  In fact, they haven't even met said creative director in person yet. No pictures of him could be fished from the internet. Even his real name wasn't public. Everyone simply knew him by his alias, “TY”.

  They've only kept in contact with Black on Black through the creative director's PA.

  Dong Si Cheng, his name was. He'd insisted on being referred to as Winwin.

  Winwin was a friendly and brilliant character. He was also young and handsome. The twenty-five-year-old was popular among his co-workers and public alike, despite not being their company's model.

  Clearly, he had done his best to convince his stubborn boss that this collaboration would be an excellent decision on their part.

  Basically, this project would come into place because of Winwin. The trio decided long ago that they liked Winwin a lot.

  Speaking of which, he was the first person the trio recognised in the room. It wasn't that hard. Only a pair from Black on Black were expected to come—Winwin and his boss. And apparently, they liked being early.

  Winwin looked sharp in his custom Armani suit, and his dark brown hair looked natural let down to reach his eyebrows.

  Winwin quickly sent them a polite smile and went back to his neutral face, glancing at the man on his left.

  TY was wearing a pair of black jeans, accompanied with a black hoodie and a grey blazer, a silver necklace wrapped around his neck, it's pendant so sharp it was impossible to miss. _A fashionista indeed._

  However, Jaehyun was too fixated on Winwin that he didn't get a good look at the mysterious creative director yet. Perhaps it was also from the nerves. He'd heard many things about TY after all.

  Like how TY was a diva who looked down on others; an arrogant and unfair boss; an insecure man hiding behind his PA.

  He was about to learn that all of those things were true.

  Noticing Jaehyun's distraction, he decided to speak to their guests first.

  “Welcome to NCT. We understand it wasn't easy for you to come here since you wanted your identity to be kept a secret but-”

  "If you knew that, then why'd you ask us to come here in the first place?”

  “Boss-”

  No one was fazed. They had been warned by Winwin in advance after all. TY had a difficult personality.

  Jungwoo stepped forward, “Well, your PA so kindly informed us that you weren't exactly very keen on letting any of us step into your office either. That's why we're here.”

  TY huffed and kept silent after that.

 _He's unexpectedly immature,_ Jaehyun thought.

  That was when he decided to give TY a proper look.

  “How about we start over and introduce ourselves before we sit down? I am Jung Jaehyun, the CEO, by the way. Nice to meet you, TY.” Jaehyun calmly said, as he reached out his right hand into TY's direction.

  He looked straight and was met with the prettiest obsidian eyes he ever came across.

  He would've been delighted at the idea of falling in love right then and there if TY didn't look exactly like the pretty man of his dreams.

  It seemed that haunting him in his dreams wasn't enough for him anymore.

 

_What the fuck?_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my younger sister gave me a prompt which inspired me to write this. I hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter. Please anticipate more from this story~  
> The chapters will get longer, I promise.  
> Comments are highly appreciated ~  
> Thank you ^^


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for supporting the first chapter! I might not update regularly because of how hectic it is at school lately. In the midst of preparing for my thesis pre-defense, I prepared this too. Hope y'all enjoy~

  “I told you so! I should've gone with you!”

  “It went terrible, didn't it? But how terrible? How'd you screw this up?”

  “Yuta please, now's not the ti—”

  “How bad was it? Wait, don't tell me. Ugh, you know I would've done a better job at charming him had I been there.”

 “Yes, I'm sure you would have. But it isn't necessary because we managed to sign a contract. Are you done?”

 That seemed to confuse Yuta, Jaehyun's Japanese PA. He had bombarded Jaehyun with questions about the private meeting before he could even close his office's door. Yuta was now scrunching his face. He looked funny.

  “Then why'd you come back looking like shit?”

  Jaehyun had insisted they talk casually behind closed doors. Jaehyun wasn't one for formality and neither was Yuta. They were the same age anyway. The lack of formality brought them closer and the rest was history.

  “It's a private matter that I'd prefer to stay, you know, private.”

  Yuta was a scarily persuasive fellow but he knew when to stop pushing for answers. He wasn't going to be able to squeeze this one out of his boss.

 "Fine, but you still look like shit. I'm gonna go make you some coffee.”

 Before Jaehyun could react, he was being shoved from the back of his shoulders and led to the blue couch at the corner of his office.

 “Sit. Doze off or something. Just rest for a while. Forget about whatever you're thinking about for a moment. I'll be back soon.”

 Jaehyun didn't know how Yuta moved so fast. He was gone too soon. Just like a ninja. He tried listening to Yuta. He closed his eyes and decided to take a break from everything. _Tried_  because he couldn’t stop thinking about his new problem.

  _Pretty man was TY. TY was Pretty man_. Was this bad omen? Was he going to die now? Maybe that was just him being overtly dramatic.

  _Keep it together Jae, you're going to be working with him from now on._

 He wanted to cry. Let his frustration out.

  _No._

 He wasn't supposed to cry. He'd just suppress it again. Like he always had.

 This was Pretty man's fault. Had he not appeared, TY would've just been another partner. But no. TY looked very much like the man in his dreams with his slim stature; the arch of his eyebrows; his incredibly sharp jawline; his cherry pink lips; his pointed nose; his dark obsidian eyes _oh those eyes._ He looked like _Pretty man_ down to every last detail.

 However, their auras were different. TY was definitely more imposing and bratty compared to _Pretty man._ TY didn't smile. He scowled.

 Jaehyun internally cringed. Recalling TY meant remembering how foolish he had acted almost throughout the meeting. It was a miracle how TY hadn't called him out for his stutters and uneven breaths. It was bad to the point that he saw Ten and Jungwoo sparing him worried glances from his peripherals. Fortunately, the discussion on the contact went about smoothly. TY rarely commented, leaving Winwin to deal with the speaking. Luckily for Jaehyun, his friends got the hint that he wasn’t in the greatest condition and took initiative in the agreement.

 Jaehyun felt pathetic. He'd embarrassed himself in front of his friends, Winwin, and TY—

 “I'm back! I hope you got some ample rest, you worrywart.”

  _How long have I been out of it?_

 As if Yuta could read his mind, he answered, “You've had your eyes closed for 40 minutes. Had to go make you another cup of coffee.”

  _40 Minutes!_

 “Relax boss, you've done enough for one day. I only decided to wake you up because you looked really ugly and constipated in your sleep. I couldn't stand it. What were you even thinking about? Ew. You know what, nevermind.”

 With caution, Jaehyun got up from the couch and joined Yuta at his desk.

 “Do you need some company? Because I'm about to leave soon. You know I hate working overtime.” Yuta asked, feigning annoyance.

 Jaehyun understood his intentions. Yuta really cared for him. He wanted to show concern in a non-sappy way. That’s how Yuta was. And Jaehyun was aware that Yuta would always be ready to lend him an ear if he ever wanted to vent. However, he wasn’t sure if he'd feel relief in sharing such an intimate secret with anyone, really. _One day, I'll tell him. One day._

 Jaehyun gave him a small smile. It was Yuta's cue to leave. His face fell slightly but Jaehyun didn't comment on it.

 “Enjoy your weekend then, boss.” He gave a small wave and disappeared coolly through the door.

  Regretfully, Jaehyun finished his coffee and skimmed through the small stack of documents Yuta had left for him. At this point, the sun had retreated from the view of the office's large glass windows. Leaving the office illuminated by nothing but the fluorescent lamp on his desk. Brightly lit rooms had always irritated the CEO anyway. His precious lamp gifted by Jungwoo would be his only friend during these hours.  

  He debated whether to leave the rest of his work for tomorrow. He hadn't expected the meeting to drain him so much. Yuta was right. He’d done enough for one day. Right now, he needed to keep his mind off work.

  Straightening his blazer, he switched the lamp off and coursed his hand through his dark hair before carrying his leather bag. In his free hand, he held the empty paper cup, throwing it in the bin on his way out.

  Jaehyun felt that he deserved a good meal after what he endured. He was in the midst of planning what to cook for tonight when a man of equally great stature stood in his way. With the hallway being quite narrow, Jaehyun was effectively stopped in his tracks. _I don't wanna deal with this._

  “The Jung Jaehyun is going home early? This really has been a strange day.”

  Jaehyun raised a brow. He just wanted to speed home. “I don't always work overtime, you know. It's even more strange that you're also leaving the office right now.”

  The other just softened his look and smiled at him, “I’m just teasing, you fool. I wanted to see if you were fine. After all, you looked so out of it since the meeting...you have a crush on TY, don't you? He's totally your type!”

  This sent Jaehyun chocking on his spit and batting his eyes rapidly. Jungwoo merely smirked.

  “Wha―no! It's not like that! Someone might hear us―”

  “Oh, not like that? If not a crush, then...an ex we don't know about?” Jungwoo continued to taunt.

  Jaehyun felt his neck burning. He could've fainted right then and there. A flustered Jaehyun was extremely rare and his friend would draw it out for as long as he could. Jungwoo was playful like that when they weren't working.

  This pretty friend had joined Ten and Jaehyun later at the age of thirteen but somehow, they had managed to become close-knit ever since. Jungwoo had a soft and composed look to him. The most caring one among the three of them, yet the most blunt and authoritative in a formal setting. Outside of work, Jungwoo was merry and delighted in being intimate with his friends. Jaehyun appreciated his friend's duality and would find this endearing on a normal occasion, but he wasn't in the right place to appreciate his friend’s jesting nature. He was just tired and hungry. Very hungry. And nothing would come between him and his food.

  “Don't make up stories, Woo. Someone's gonna misunderstand. Anyways, I have to go―”

  “You really don't wanna talk about it?” Jungwoo interrupted.

  A pause.

  “Next time, Woo.” _Next time._

  Jungwoo looked forlorn but let his friend walk down the hallway. Looking back on their twelve years of friendship, he wondered what had gone wrong. How did one of them drift apart from bottled up grief and frustration?

  _Next time,_ Jungwoo hoped. He clung onto the hope that his dear friend would come to stop pushing people away and gather the courage to open up again like he had once upon a time.

 

* * *

 

  In the comfort of his sleek BMW, Jaehyun gathered his thoughts. He had rejected counsel from three of his closest friends and associates already. He felt bad but he was aware how they all had their own problems as well. He didn't want to burden them with his unnecessary complaints. He also didn't want them to think that he was finally losing it. Had they known about his dreams, no doubt would they have him take a break from work. That would prove difficult for Jaehyun.

  _No good._ He was overthinking again. He decided to make a stop at the nearest convenience store. He had ingredients for dinner back at his penthouse but he had run out of snacks. _The perfect excuse for stress eating, I guess._ Besides, he'd figured it would be nice to say hi to an old buddy.

  Jaehyun made a turn. Luckily for him, the parking spot right in front of the store was vacant. Upon parking, he removed his black tie along with his blazer, falling victim to his abuse as he flung them onto the passenger seat. He folded his sleeves up to his elbows and got out his car impatiently. It was suffocating.

  “Welcome to LIMITLESS, the only store offering a limitless variety of goods―oh hyung!”

  Jaehyun beamed at the cashier's energy.

  “They still make you say that stupid line? You deserve a raise, Mark.”

  Jaehyun had first met Mark three months ago when he would frequent the store to buy ramen. Mark was a high school graduate taking a gap year. God knows why he decided to work the night shift in this busy district at night. Night shifts weren't as busy but he still had to stay around till 11pm. This cheery boy never seemed to complain all this while, gaining Jaehyun's interest. He was a nice kid. Like a younger brother he never had.

  “Hyung, you scared me. Thought you've forgotten about me.” Mark kid.

  “When was the last time I paid a visit?” the older asked, observing his surroundings. They were alone.

  “Hyung, it was like, over a month ago. And you didn't even buy anything back then,” Mark whined.

  “Over a month already! I'm sorry, Mark. You know how it is, super busy and all.”

  “Yeah, yeah, just CEO things. That's so cool, hyung. I still can't believe I know The Jung. Jae. Hyun.” Mark stressed.

  “You’ll get used to it―”

  “I'll get used to it when you decide to come more often!” the younger snickered.

  Jaehyun chuckled. Mark was like a breath of fresh air. He'd always feel rejuvenated around the younger. It was a wise decision to come to LIMITLESS.

  “By the way hyung, how have you been? Something must be on your mind.”

  “How'd you know, Mark? I've been hearing that for the past hour. Is it that obvious?”

  Mark hummed before replying, “Well, it's just that you seemed the type to stress eat. You looked troubled back then, too.”

  _Smart kid._ Jaehyun acknowledged while evading Mark’s question. He proceeded to the familiar aisle to grab two cups of ramen and three bags of honey butter chips. He hadn't realised that someone else had entered the store and beat him to the counter.

  “Missed me?” the stranger asked the cashier.

  “Hardly,” Mark mocked.

  To which the stranger turned around to face Jaehyun.

  "He's so mean, isn't he?”

  Jaehyun decided to go along with Mark and responded with, “Hardly.”

  The stranger with brown locks and around Mark's age gawked in a joking manner.

  “I can't believe this, it's unfair. You two just teamed up against me.”

  Jaehyun looked past the stranger and asked, “He is...”

  “Haechan! My friend, ex-classmate, and neighbour. We've known each other since birth. I've been wanting you two to meet.”

  Haechan and Jaehyun exchanged pleasantries and chatted for a while, the snacks almost forgotten. Jaehyun had a strong feeling he'd become close to Haechan as well. Their personalities got along quite well. Jaehyun was used to dealing with playful characters anyway.

  Realising that it was already 9pm on his rolex, Jaehyun felt that he had loitered for too long. He asked for a checkout and promised to come more often. He felt like he'd imposed on what was supposed to be Mark and Haechan's time alone.

  For a short while, Jaehyun had forgotten his problems. But not for long. The moment he had stepped foot outside, he was faced with a familiar figure leaning on the front door of a white Rolls-Royce parked behind his car. He was occupied with his phone. _TY...why?_

  The man felt his presence and looked up from his phone. His piercing gaze gave Jaehyun chills. He suddenly felt self-conscious of his haggard appearance. TY on the other hand, still looked as ethereal as he'd last saw him. Except his coat was now draped over his shoulders rather than worn properly. Even so, TY looked majestic.

  “Oh, you come here too?” Jaehyun tried to strike up a conversation. _Wow Jae, that was stupid._ He wanted to teleport out of there.

  “Came with my cousin actually,” he replied nonchalantly, looking down on his phone again. As if noticing the time for the first time, he pushed his body off the car in shock.

  “Shit! It's already past nine? What has he been doing in there?”

  It just registered that TY's cousin might just be the stranger he had the pleasure of meeting not long ago. _So much for getting closer._

  “You're Haechan's cousin?” he blurted.

  TY regarded him with a wary look before acknowledging. _This is so awkward._

  “What do you think about him?” TY asked out of the blue.

  Jaehyun was dazed but surprisingly, TY waited for an answer patiently.

  “Well, he's nice―”

  “He can be a brat. No need to sugarcoat. I apologise if he has caused you any inconvenience.”

  Again, Jaehyun had not expected such a response.

  “No really, he didn't do anything wrong. He was great company actually.”

  TY gave him an unreadable look before nodding.

  “Well, please excuse me then. I have to maul him outta there. I feel bad for the poor cashier.”

  Before Jaehyun could construct a sentence, TY had already brushed past him. _So much for conversation_. But he had no plans on staying any longer. He composed his thoughts and rushed into the safety of his BMW. He tossed the poor bag of snacks onto the passenger seat before driving away almost immediately. Fate must love playing around with him.

  Upon his arrival at Timeless Heights, relief showered over the tortured soul. He was positive that he wouldn't be facing concerned friends and a certain beauty for the rest of the night. Unless fate had some plans to magically make TY his neighbour. _Over my dead body. I don't live in a drama._

  Jaehyun picked up his belongings and hauled himself out of the vehicle with discontent. _I haven't even had dinner yet._ It was almost 10pm. Jaehyun sighed as he entered the lobby. Curious eyes studied him, to which he paid no mind. He couldn't care less if someone had uploaded a picture of him looking so deadbeat.

  The ride in the elevator felt like forever, with the penthouse being on the fortieth floor. Jaehyun considered skipping out on a proper dinner and resort to the cups of ramen he'd bought. But that wasn't an option when he opened the door to find out that Taeil had invited himself over. He was convinced the universe hated him.

  “What are you doing here, hyung?” Jaehyun drawled. 

  “Jungwoo and Ten called. Asked if I was free to prepare you a meal. Apparently, they were very concerned.”

  “You didn't have to,”

  “I’m glad I did, you look terrible. And why are you home so late?”

  “Dropped by the convenience store. Was out of snacks.”

  Taeil hummed and led him to the dining room, the table already decorated with two glasses of water, fried chicken, and japchae on the side. Taeil sat across him, waiting for Jaehyun to take a seat.

  “Let's eat?” Taeil soothed him into eating. His troubles slowly faded away as they ate in comfortable silence.

  “Thanks for the meal, hyung. It wasn't necessary―”

  “Save it, Jaehyun. Someone needs to look after you once in a while.”

  Jaehyun nodded and stood up, his hunger satisfied.

  “I'm gonna shower now,”

  “I'm leaving right now, actually,”

  “Lemme accompany you to the door.”

  Taeil got his belongings which only consisted of his phone and headed to the main door. Before Jaehyun could push it open, Taeil caught his wrist and held it gently.

  “You know, we're all worried about you. Like I've said many times before, you don't have to be perfect all the time. I mean, it's nice to look composed, friendly, and cool but it's not okay if you're doing it to the extent that you bottle up and disregard your other emotions. It's okay to be sad and angry too, Jae. It's okay if you want to share not only your happy moments with us, but your rough ones as well. Because from what I see, you're just hurting yourself.”

  “Hyung I know,”

  “Wait, let me finish. I'm letting you know that you'll explode one day if you keep this up. I'm not asking you to tell us everything, but letting go of small bits of it can still lessen the burden on your shoulders. We’re here for you and we’ll always listen to anything you want to share. I hope you'll realise that.”

  The two exchanged knowing looks for a good minute before Jaehyun broke the silence.

  “Goodnight hyung. Thanks for the meal.”

  Taeil replied with the saddest ‘goodnight’ and guided himself out.

  Five. Jaehyun had turned down five people who asked him about his feelings. Five dear people who worried for him. With a heavy heart, he walked up the steps to the bathroom beside his bedroom.

 

* * *

 

 

  Jaehyun was now in bed and staring at the ceiling. He'd been wanting to sleep since the meeting, but why couldn't he now? _How inconvenient._

  He thought of his friends. How they looked so heartbroken when he refused to open up about his feelings. Taeil was right and he knew it. He was an adult but still couldn't overcome his struggles of sharing his thoughts. He didn't know when it began or whether he was born that way but at some point he had become too conscious of his image. He wanted to project the image of a perfect role-model. Or so he thought. It hadn't occurred to him that he had become obsessed with his image that he wouldn't even be true to himself with his friends.

  Jaehyun slapped a hand to his forehead, telling himself to get over this TY fiasco; and that he would address it with his friends. His family. But how? If they knew, it would create a boundary working with TY. He most definitely couldn't tell his parents. They’d laugh it off, as much as they loved him.

  _Ugh, try someone else._ He thought about it. Then it finally dawned on him that he could start from the only person he knew who wasn't directly associated with TY—Moon Taeil. _This could work._

  After all, Taeil was basically family. He was a distant relative of Jungwoo's, and was like their guardian, pretty much present since their childhood till adulthood. He watched over them whenever they came over at Jungwoo's; he gave them snacks in secret when Jungwoo's parents were away in secret. He was their older brother figure. Surely, Jaehyun could trust him with his secret. He'd promise to tell the others later.

  Jaehyun began drifting off to sleep, TY’s obsidian eyes being the last thing on his mind before succumbing to sleep.

  _All was dark, till he began to make out a familiar face. TY―or Pretty man per se―came to view. But something was odd. He wasn't cupping Jaehyun's face like the usual. Instead, he was keeping his distance and looking at Jaehyun sternly but respectfully. They were also dressed differently. They were in hanboks, Jaehyun's especially more regal looking with gold patterns adorning the blue cloth. In contrast to Pretty man's red one, which seemed to be a warrior’s clothing he'd seen in historical dramas. Paired with a black hat of sort, Pretty man looked like a general. A very good looking general at that._

_They were also not surrounded by greenery but were inside what he could only make out to be palace. He must've watched too much historical dramas._

_Then the unimaginable happened. He heard himself speak._

_“And do you think you deserve such a position? Are you not far too young?”_

_One end of Pretty man's lips curled up, “With all due respect, your highness. I believe you are also far too young for your position yourself. But you do not see me protesting.”_

_The other officials and servants in the court eyed each other at the bold move._

_“I was just asking, you are dismissed.”_

_Pretty man gave a curt bow and strode past the enormous palace doors._

_“Please excuse his unrefined behaviour, your highness!” one of the officials yelled out. This was all too bizarre. Traditional Hangul partnered with so much honorifics, in a setting unbeknownst to him. Jaehyun wanted to wake up. But his body wouldn't let him._

_“See to it that he is taught palace etiquette. I do not doubt his skills, however, I have heard rumours of his crude personality. It is not something you would not be able to fix, am I right, Teacher Kim?”_

_Out of the shadows, another figure emerged. A smart looking stranger with good posture._

_“You are right, your highness. I will see to it that General Lee adjusts to the palace.”_

_Teacher Kim's words were the last thing he heard before everything went black. Jaehyun felt like he was falling into a bottomless pit. Till he jolted awake._

  He bent over gasping, and sweating all over. His sheets and shirt were soaking wet. The clock on his nightstand read 2am. He evened his breathing and dug his nails into the sheets. Once he had calmed, he discovered that he remembered every single detail regarding the dream. For the first time in years since he dreamt of _Pretty man,_ never had he seen him in a different light. _Holy shit._

  The dreams have truly gone out of control and reached a whole new level of abnormal. He couldn't deal with this on his own. He reached out to grab his phone, sending a quick text to Taeil, requesting to have him come over tomorrow Saturday morning. He had sworn to tell him at least seventy percent of his story. Jaehyun quickly fell into a deep slumber after hitting send. It was a dreamless night from then on.

 

* * *

 

 

  The next morning, Jaehyun had forgotten about the text message. The dream however, was still vivid. The soft knock on his bedroom door startled him and almost sent him screaming.

  “Good morning Jae, it's me. I hope you didn't forget about that text message you sent at such an appropriate time.”

  _Shit._ Maybe he wasn't ready after all.

  “Oh yeah, good morning hyung. About that...I'll be out soon. Just let me take a shower.”

  “Good, I'll prepare breakfast then.”

  Truth be told, Jaehyun was shaking from the nerves. He was so confused, so lost. He hoped that Taeil was right about feeling relief after sharing his problems.

  Jaehyun pulled his dirty shirt off, showcasing his great built in front of the window. Not like anyone could see. He continued to undress, leaving a trail of clothing after every step he took.

  It was already 9am. It was going to be a long morning with Taeil. He stepped into the shower and turned the tap on, water pouring down his sculpted body. He reconsidered the possibility of his dream being about his past life. He was open to all options at this point, anything seemed probable. He teared up, tears easily mistaken as water droplets, as he let exhaustion take over him.

 

* * *

 

 

  “Jae, you took forever! Here, have some bacon. Oh, I also brought croissants!”

  Jaehyun was happy to see him like this. As if he hadn't been hurt last night. He would make it up to his favourite hyung alright. He would immerse him with his intriguing story.

  They had a regular breakfast, without mentions of anything out of the ordinary. Taeil shared Jungwoo’s minor freak out at home prior to the meeting and Jaehyun mentioned Ten's upcoming trip to Chicago, finally reuniting with his longtime boyfriend, Johnny.

  Only after they had cleaned up did Taeil bring the subject up. They were now sitting on Jaehyun's couch in the living room with stillness. Till Taeil spoke up.

  “So, you said you'd tell me seventy percent of it. I hope you're not doing this because I pressured you to. It would hurt me more if that's what led to this.”

  Jaehyun assured him that was not the case and started from the beginning, omitting intimate details and his true opinions on TY. Taeil would never live it down.

  Their session ended with Taeil thanking him for trusting him. Not once did Taeil scoff at Jaehyun's recounts. He just let him speak with no interruption, absorbing details.

  “I'm so proud of you, Jaehyun. You don't have to worry about it all by yourself anymore. I promise you we'll get through this and you'll feel so much better in the end.”

  Jaehyun gave him a gummy smile. “You were right hyung. I feel like I have more room to breathe now. Thanks for listening with an open mind.”

  Taeil returned the smile and got ready to leave.

  “Your secret’s safe with me, Jae. I'll see what I can do about your case.”

  With that, Jaehyun was left all alone with his thoughts again. However, it didn't feel as suffocating as before. For the first time in years, his heart was at ease. A benign smile touched his lips.

 


	3. III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, let's go! My brain's been fried all week I don't remember what I've written for this chapter :')  
> Happy reading~

  It wasn't part of the plan. Staying mute throughout the meeting wasn't part of the plan. Jung Jaehyun wasn't part of the plan. And having a run in with him not long after definitely wasn't part of the plan either.

  He wasn't supposed to see him nor did he want to. How could he? Jung Jaehyun was such a perfect man that Lee Taeyong found himself inexplicably mum in his presence. Taeyong remembered his purpose of going to NCT's main office. He had prepared to challenge the three main shareholders with his impudence, holding onto any shred of hope that they'd drop their unwavering proposal of a collaboration.

  Taeyong recalled when a fairly new cosmetics company had risen to the top overnight, managing to sponsor a famous artist. It had been three years already. Taeyong obviously didn't have it in him to care much and delve into the matter. Hence, his great astonishment in learning that the current CEO was at a ripe age of twenty-five; making him two years Taeyong and Winwin’s junior. He also learned that it wasn't so much how young the company was, but the CEO’s youthful appearance rather, that had garnered the public’s attention. He was a college dropout, easily making him one of the youngest leaders in the industry. _Guess we have something in common._

  Taeyong’s lack of research had come to bite him back when he finally met the young entrepreneur face to face. _Because fuck,_ he was gorgeous. And Taeyong couldn't tell him that. Had they met under different circumstances a long time ago, he would have considered flirting. Unfortunately, he had enforced a personal dating ban upon himself seven years ago, over an incident he still felt liable for.

  Nonetheless, flirting was out of the question because Taeyong couldn't even get a word out to this fine specimen. He looked so proper, exuding a cool and reliable aura. His suit fit him nicely, accentuating his shoulders and his beautifully sculpted shape. _Respectable and sexy,_ Taeyong was smitten.

  The downside to encountering such people at work was that Taeyong had to put up his defenses and be cautious of being swayed. Lee Taeyong couldn't risk catching feelings, especially for those of Jung Jaehyun's calibre. As much as it upset him, he had distance himself from the handsome man for personal reasons. This proved to be a hard task when said respectable and sexy man began to stutter over his sentences, making him look cute rather than incompetent in Taeyong’s eyes. _Damn you._ He couldn't trust his voice and relied on Winwin to take on the negotiation. He seemed very sure of accepting this deal. And after inspecting Jung Jaehyun, Taeyong thought that Winwin might have a good point.

  The only thing Taeyong couldn't seem to deduce was the reason behind Jaehyun's unprofessional jittering. As if he was terrified of Taeyong. _Good_. Taeyong thought. He'd allow this collaboration if it meant he had the upper hand when it came to control. That was when his plans had changed. He would be uncharacteristically obedient for the rest of the meeting, only answering to Winwin with whispers.

  Taeyong came to a realisation that he hadn't even paid attention to the two other faces of NCT. He wasn't usually like this. He never failed to pay attention to details. Looking back, this would be the first time he had a change of heart in the middle of a meeting since he had become the creative director of Black on Black. He rarely attended meetings in the first place. As if by some invisible force, he was dragged here to meet the handsome CEO.

  Prior to this, he was a careful and observant man, dead set on what he wanted and did everything according to plan. The realisation of acting off course dawned on him, to which he could only describe as an enigmatic feeling putting him in a trance. As if his body was moving on its own.

  Disappointed in himself for losing his resolve, he called Haechan, offering to pick him up in his Rolls-Royce, and inviting him to spend the rest of the evening together. He should've known Haechan would pester him into stopping by LIMITLESS.

  “Don't you already talk to him everyday? Give Mark a break, isn’t it supposed to be just the two of us?” he remembered asking.

  To which the younger had responded with a ‘very mature’ threat of ignoring him, hence ending up in front of LIMITLESS in the end. Another expensive looking car was parked in front of his. _It's nothing, wealthy people can prefer convenience stores too._

  Before Taeyong could unbuckle his seatbelt, Haechan had already bolted out of the vehicle with a faint ‘thanks’. Feeling betrayed, Taeyong figured Haechan would take at least an hour before deciding to leave. Thus, he decided to browse his Instagram account and tried to catch up with his friends with his free time. It wasn't difficult since he'd only considered four people to be his true friends. Only following six accounts consisting of his friends’ and his company's he felt a little lonely.

  The usernames emperor.dons and its_johnD posted fun shots of their stay in the States. Taeyong hummed. They had been overseas for a solid two years. With Skype as the only medium bridging them, Taeyong wanted to see them in person badly.

  He still had two friends who remained with him in South Korea. Both still very close to him since they worked together under the same company.

  The first one was no other than, Winwin. Under his username 2win_dsc, he was quite the celebrity, and in the spotlight as the representative of Black on Black. Taeyong didn't mind. It had been his idea to make Winwin the face of his company after all. The man was admirable in so many ways.

  The second was Wong Yukhei. He was a man of several identities. He liked to be called Lucas (it was his name on the job) but referred to himself as Xuxi, using a silly username of mynameisSUSHI. Only his relatives and closest friends could call him by his birth name. His recent post was of him posing in front of his brand new blue supercar. His pose was natural, he was Black on Black's jewel after all.

  Taeyong shook his head at his friends' posts of their luxurious lifestyle. _Show-offs._ If only a reunion could come faster.

  He found himself smiling at the idea. Unable to contain his excitement, he turned the car's engine off and stepped out. He removed his coat to stretch his limbs, probably looking like an idiot if he wasn't dressed so nicely. But he didn't care. No one in the area could recognise him.

  After a good minute of stretching and hopping, Taeyong draped his coat over his shoulders—a lazy habit he possessed. Nevertheless, he looked fabulous. Only then did his serious demeanor make its return. He leaned on the door of his car, eyes glued to his phone screen. Haechan had been completely forgotten. It wasn't until ten minutes later that he heard the glass door being pushed open. Thinking it was his traitorous cousin, he looked up with an unsparing look. _Fuck_.

  It wasn't Haechan. His look had frozen the poor man in his tracks. It was the CEO he had been slightly, just slightly, crushing on. And the poor guy looked scared. Taeyong couldn't blame him. He was aware of how his neutral face could easily be mistaken for a scowl. He was self-conscious about it.

  He would've apologised if he wasn't very distracted by Jaehyun looking so damn hot. The CEO was adorning a messy hairstyle, his dark brown bangs sweeping over his forehead and touching his eyebrows. He had gotten rid of his blazer and necktie, his sleeves folded up to his elbows. This was a look.

  Taeyong was a man of high standards. He didn't fawn over just anyone. But it seemed that this CEO was an exception. But he didn't need Jaehyun to know that.

  He tried to contort his expression into one of nonchalance, praying that Jaehyun was oblivious enough to his embarrassment for mistaken identity.

_“Oh, you come here too?”_

  Jaehyun had no idea how grateful Taeyong was for not commenting on his grim look. He just had to go with the flow.

_“Came here with my cousin actually,”_

  Taeyong noticed the exhaustion behind Jaehyun's warm exterior. To save themselves from small talk, Taeyong looked at the time on his phone and feigned shock.

_“Shit! It's already past nine? What has he been doing in there?”_

  He hoped he looked convincing enough with his act.

  He was about to make it past the CEO when he asked with great interest, _“You're Haechan’s cousin?”_

  _So much for going with the flow._ This guy was obviously tired. _Why did he insist on conversation?_

  He thought about his answer for a split second.

  _Wait...he knew Haechan?_

  He nodded curtly and asked whatever first came to mind, which was unlike him.

 _“What do you think about him?” shit._ He fucked up. That was too unnatural and forced.

  Jaehyun didn't seem to question it much and gave a dull answer. The rest was a blur as Taeyong brisk walked past the handsome CEO who couldn't seem to get the hint.

  He dashed inside the store, grabbing the opened bottle of water from Haechan's hand and gulped down all of its contents.

  “Hyung, what the hell?”

  "Don't talk to me like that. Listen, we're going. Bye Mark,”

  Before anyone could form a reaction, the pissed man had already grabbed onto Haechan's arm and pulled him to the direction of the doors.

  “Hyung, what's going on?”

  Taeyong offered no explanation. His younger cousin had a lot of answering to do.

  “No, you tell me what's going on. How do you know Jung Jaehyun, huh?”

  “I'll tell you after you let me go! I swear, I'll expose you if you don't let go! It hurts!”

  Taeyong loosened his grip, both of them stuck in a death stare competition in front of the store.

  "What the heck, hyung? You embarrassed me in front of Mark!”

  “I don't care, you deserved it for making me wait out here for so long!”

  “You could have gone in and joined us! I never told you to stay inside the car! Then maybe you would've gotten the chance to chat with the Jung Jaehyun dude you're so pressed over!"

  “You little brat! What did you just say to me?”

  Haechan scoffed, “I literally just met him today, by the way!” the death stare competition had turned into a full blown shouting match.

  “Look, can we just talk inside?” Taeyong eventually pleaded.

  “Good. Take me home now,” Haechan muttered as he walked over to the passenger seat.

  The older could only huff before getting into the driver's seat.

  The ride back to Haechan's apartment was silent. Taeyong hated it.

  “I'm sorry, Haechan. I don't know what came over me at that time.”

  “Yeah, you were really mature back there, old man. But apology accepted.”

  Taeyong sighed and waited.

  “I'm sorry too, hyung. I was a little rude to you.”

  “Just a little?” the elder remarked.

  “Just a little.” Haechan smiled playfully.

  It wasn't uncommon for the two to have banters but real arguments were rare. Haechan was his only living relative left, he couldn't imagine being on bad terms with him for too long. He could lose everything, just not the younger.

  Once the high-rise building came to view, Taeyong had panicked at the idea of being left alone again. Haechan must have sensed it and offered, “You can stay over, hyung. You're paying for the apartment anyway.”

  “But,”

  “And I'll have no one to clean after me,” Haechan countered.

  “You're such a child,” Taeyong smiled.

 

* * *

 

  
  “Jaehyunnie!” a soft voice cooed from the intercom.

  “Ah, I told you not to bother me on weekends, Woo.” Jaehyun replied without malice.

  “I heard from Taeil hyung that you weren't sleeping well, so I've come to offer myself as a cuddle buddy.”

 _Of course Taeil hyung would rat me out._ He trusted that Taeil hadn't been too specific with Jungwoo about the rest of it.

  "No thanks, Woo. Don't make me kick you out,”

  “But you haven't even let me in,” Jungwoo pouted.

  “Oh right. Don't make me call for security then.”

  “You’d never!” Jungwoo dramatically gasped.

  “But the security guards have been so nice to me, they've fallen for my charm. So you better open this door before I ask Taeil hyung for your passcode.” Jungwoo said, a little too cheerily for Jaehyun to know that he was serious. Jaehyun regretted his decision in choosing a door lock. He should've settled for one of those biometric fingerprint door locks instead of a regular passcode like everyone else.

  Jaehyun grunted and walked to the door. He unlocked it and found engulfed in a bone-crushing hug from the invader before he could lock it.

  “Am I a temporary replacement for Ten?” he joked.

  Jungwoo feigned hurt and asked, “Why would you think so, Hyunnie?”

  “Isn't he packing for Chicago right now?”

  “Alright, you caught me. I needed a proxy cuddle buddy.”

  Jaehyun walked away with an anguished expression as a bluff.

  “You know I'm joking, right? Wait, where are you going? Jung Jaehyun! I was joking!”

  Jungwoo followed him like a puppy to his room.

  “Yah, don't ignore me!”

  It was fun getting back at Jungwoo like this—

  “I see how it is, I hope you don't mind me making myself comfortable in your ‘secret room' then!”—or not.

  Jaehyun immediately ran after Jungwoo, tackling him before he could make it to the steps. They found themselves entrapped in a tickling match, losing themselves in the moment.

  It ended with a happy Jungwoo wrapped around a breathless Jaehyun.

  “I hope you’re happy, koala.”

  “Very.”

  Not long after, the pair had moved to Jaehyun's bedroom. Jaehyun was reading a novel in his bed, while Jungwoo clung onto one of his arms.

  “Why don't you go find a boyfriend to cuddle with, Woo?”

  “People our age don't stay committed to relationships, Hyunnie.”

  “Good point.”

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Your love life. Why don't you ever date?”

  Jaehyun considered for a minute, “Don't need to. Not interested.”

  “But TY,”

  “Don't know him.”

  Jungwoo let go of his arm, “See? You act weird when it comes to him. How can you not know him? You just suddenly forgot?”

  “That's rjght.”

  “You're not making sense.”

  “I know,”

  “Jaehyun,”

  “I'm trying to concentrate on reading, Woo. Don't make me call security for real.”

  “It'd be pointless. Didn't I tell you they had fallen for my charms? Anyway, don't divert from the topic.”

  “Am not.”

  “You're hopeless.”

  “Like my love life.”

  “Like your love life.”

  “What if,” Jungwoo had moved on to snuggle one of Jaehyun's pillows.

  Jaehyun flipped over to a fresh page. “What if?”

  “What if I set you up on a blind date?”  
Jaehyun shut his book.

  “Woo, no. Don't you dare,”

  “Listen to me, I heard Ten's boyfriend has connections.”

  “Johnny? We don't even know what he looks like!”

  “True, but I bet you a million won that he's as handsome as Ten makes him out to be. His friends must be like him.”

  “Just a million? Make it ten.”

  “Hyunnie, that's not the point.”

  “Okay, but why Johnny’s friends?”

  “Because you've rejected every single one of mine and Ten’s, duh!”

  Jaehyun laughed and put his book away.  
“Is it my fault none of those dates worked out? And like I said, I'm not interested.”

  Jungwoo pointed an accusing finger at him. “That's what you want everyone to think, but you can't fool Ten and I! I can see that you've been trying to find love, Hyunnie. I just want to help.”

  “Blind dates are unnatural, anyway.”

  “Gosh, I wish Ten were here to help me out.” Jungwoo said, as he collapsed on the bed.

  “Lucky me, then. I would've lost my mind because of you two.”

  “Jaehyun,” Jungwoo’s voice was quiet but serious this time.

  “Please promise me one thing. Promise me you'll allow this to be a final resort.”

   _Final resort, huh?_ It seemed reasonable enough to Jaehyun, convinced nothing would push him to this option. He held out his pinky finger, soon connected with Jungwoo's. _I promise_.

  Unbeknownst to Jungwoo, Jaehyun hadn't only promised him something. Jaehyun made a promise to himself that he'd get over _Pretty man_ and give dating a try as well.

 

* * *

 

  “What's with the new hair colour all of a sudden?”

 “You don't like it?”

 “Never said anything of the sort. I was just asking,”

 Taeyong had been greeted with a questioning glance from Winwin the moment he entered his office. Fortunately, not many employees paid him mind. Being part of a fashion house and modelling agency meant that people sported crazy hair colours at times.

 “Is there an occasion I don't know about? Are Doyoung and Johnny finally coming back?”

 “Never said anything of the sort.” Taeyong mimicked, earning a pencil thrown in his direction.

 “I just thought that this blond looked really pretty. I had to try it.” The creative director explained.

 “Out of the blue? Wait,” the PA smirked.

 “Aren't you meeting Jung Jaehyun this afternoon?” he pressed on.

 The blond frowned. “Yeah, what about it?”

 “Are you trying to impress him? Perhaps, seduce him?”

 Taeyong’s eyes widened so much, Winwin was sure they could've fallen out of their sockets.

 “What kind of bullshit is that? Me? Impress him? Seduce him?! Outrageous! Wah, you've finally gone crazy from the work load huh, Winwin. You need a holiday? Paid leave or something? Wah, never thought I'd see this day.” The blond rambled.

 Winwin didn't say anything. All he had to do was to put on a smug face to set his friend off.

 “What's with that face? You don't believe me? I don't have to try to impress him by the way, so wipe off that stupid smile right now! I don't have a crush on him!”

 Winwin only hummed in return, “Never said you had a crush on him. I was just kidding. Why are you so defensive hmm, boss?”

 At that, Taeyong looked down in contemplation, his face slowly flushing into a bright shade of red. He was so embarrassed. Quickly grabbing his grey coat from the swivel chair, he excused himself.

 “I'll be observing Yukhei's shoot for the meantime. And you're not invited, bye!”

 Indifferent to his friend’s childlike behaviour, he continued with the pile of work on his desk. Only for his embarrassed boss to barge back inside to claim his forgotten phone.

 “I'm leaving for real now, bye.”

 Winwin nodded from his desk, not bothering to watch him leave. His boss never failed to amuse him.

 Taeyong had draped his coat over his shoulders as usual. His trousers matched his grey coat, he wore a white dress shirt along with a white choker to coordinate. He looked fresh. Maybe he did exert extra effort to look better today. I didn't do it for him, he convinced himself.

 Before he could think of more excuses, his phone buzzed. It was his annoying PA.

 “Sorry to ruin your fun time with Yukhei, but Kim Jungwoo of NCT is requesting for our presence right now. I need to know if you still don't want to see me.”

  _Kim Jungwoo? Ah, the pretty COO? What a spoilsport._

  “Doesn’t he just have perfect timing? Tell me what he wants before I decide because I still don't want to see you.”

 Taeyong had barely even made it to the set. It had been a while since he last supported his friend during a shoot. He couldn't think of a valid reason to ditch Yukhei again―

 “It's pretty urgent. You left out one of forms when you signed. That means your meeting with Jung Jaehyun would be cancelled.” Winwin persuaded, with a hint of mockery.

 Upon hearing the word ‘cancelled’ after the name ‘Jung Jaehyun’, the creative director instantly concluded that it was indeed urgent, making a detour to the parking lot. Yukhei could be put on hold, _sorry not sorry._

  Taeyong was met with Winwin standing in front of his white Rolls-Royce.

 “What gives? I didn't even tell you anything yet.”

 His PA flashed a smile. “That would be unnecessary. After all, you already took the bait. You must be so infatuated with Jung Jaehyun.”

  _There he goes, spouting nonsense again_.

 “I'm not sure I understand you, you haven't been making sense. I should really have you go on a paid leave very soon.” Taeyong jabbed.

 “I appreciate the offer of a paid leave but I would very much prefer to drive right now.” Winwin replied, signalling his hands for the keys.

 “You think you're so smart...”

 “I know I am.”

 “Shut up and drive.”

 “Yes, boss.”

 It took them a thirty-minute drive to NCT's main office. Taeyong had fallen asleep from watching craft videos on YouTube from his phone, which had been abandoned on his lap. He was curled up in his seat, nuzzling his coat, with some drool escaping his mouth. This man was too precious for the world in Winwin's eyes. He strongly believed Taeyong deserved only the finer things in life. He would do anything for him. But Taeyong seemed clueless to that fact.

 Winwin reached out his hand, leaving it to hover above Taeyong’s cheek. Deciding to settle for his shoulders instead, he shook his boss awake.

 “Boss, we're here. You better get up before I start ruffling your perfectly styled hair.”

 “My hair―don't touch my hair!” Taeyong was immediately up and about.

 “Winwin ah, do I look okay? Shit. Did I drool a lot? Do you have tissues? Yah, don't go without me―”

 “Relax, boss. You're here for Kim Jungwoo. I was notified that Jung Jaehyun would be occupied with another meeting anyway.”

 “Yah! It's all about professionalism and looking decent. I'm not walking out looking like I just woke up.”

 “But you did just wake up,”

 “You know what I mean.”

 “I'm afraid I don't.”

 “Winwin!”

 “I'm going.”

 “Are you the boss between the two of us?”

 “Might as well be.”

  _He's impossible!_ Even so, he could never find himself to feel genuine anger towards his cute PA.

 Taeyong wiped his drool on the sleeve of his coat before stepping out. He put his coat on properly and walked beside Winwin. They had access to NCT's private parking lot. There he saw a familiar BMW.

 “That's Jaehyun’s car.”

 “I know.”

 Taeyong was baffled, “How?”

 “It seemed like his style.” Taeyong looked at him incredulously.

 “Winwin,”

 “I met them beforehand, remember?”

 “Oh yeah, that was a stupid question.” Taeyong slapped a hand to his forehead.

 “Good thing you know.”

 “Fuck off,”

 “How did you know, then?”

 Taeyong hesitated. He didn't want anyone else knowing about the convenience store encounter.

 “Gut feeling.”

 “Mhm.”

 “I'm serious, Winwin.”

 “Like your crush on him.”

 “Stop teasing me!” the blond retorted.

 “Yes, boss.”

 Because of his slip, Winwin would never live it down.

 They proceeded to the lobby, everyone making room for them. No one was sure who the good looking pair was, but understood that they were of importance from their aura alone. Wary of these strangers, no one rode the elevator with them. That was until a hand stopped the doors from closing. Taeyong was to say, mildly irritated. Till he saw who the hand belonged to. There in all his glory, was the CEO clad in all black.

 “Mind if I join you?” the blond decided he really liked his voice.

 “Good morning, Jaehyun-ssi. We don't mind at all.” Winwin greeted politely, he too, was a little shocked that the CEO was here instead of being caught up in a meeting.

 “Please, you may drop the formality.” He said as he entered, employees turning a blind eye.

  Taeyong deliberated on snapping at him. But why should he? The CEO hadn't proved to be an asshole, he was even nice to Haechan. He lost all strength to test him. Maybe a small part of him didn't want to push this man away.

 


End file.
